portfloio- essay 4

Text messaging; a teenage epidemic!

“iz txt1ng t@king ovr the t33n population?” Nowadays approximately 60 percent of all teens in the nation have a cell phone, as reported by U.S cellular statistics. Typically teens send about 188 or more texts per month and according to the article “Teen Driver Menace: Text-Messaging Studies Show Texting While Driving Is Epidemic” this distraction is becoming very dangerous on the roads. Steve Vogel, the author of this article stresses the dangers of multi tasking at the wheel by such means as text messaging. Shockingly Vogel explains that texting while driving is right up there with driving under the influence. The main point of his essay is to educate the reader about the hazards of text-driving and make a call to action in respect to stopping this neglect act, which has taken the lives of many in our society.
Another common opinion about texting is that it is affecting the English language. “The Hazardous Effects of Text Messaging” by Corinne Love declares that text messaging is “negatively affecting the English language”. This article discusses Loves concern about teen text messaging, and the habits that she feels will affect their academic ability. In this article Love mainly discusses how teenagers abbreviate words, and use poor grammar while texting. She supports her opinion with a recent study posted at Cnn.com in April of 2007. This study showed that texting does indeed have many effects on language in generally. Some of these effects include, “"improper grammar, spelling, and all rhetoric elements that comprise many college papers and academic writing.” Love recognizes the fact that people have to adjust to changes in communication, but questions whether it is worth its negative effects on language.
Bullying has always been a common issue amongst teenagers, but more recently has become a problem via text messaging. The article “Text Bullying” by Kathy Brock is informing readers of the seriousness of this new trend. Brock explains that students are sending mean comments, threats, pictures, videos and nasty chain mail through text messages. These texts are very harmful to ones self-esteem especially because they can be anonymous, blocked and widely distributed. The new trend has been picked up by bullies because sending a threat is only a few thumb clicks away. There is no personally contact or fear of being known. It is an issue that Brock explains is spreading through schools worldwide and needs to be stopped.

Together these articles from the underlying argument that teenagers over use of texting have more negative effects then positive. It is common knowledge that text messaging has gained startling popularity with teens. I myself am a teenager that was swept up in the wave of this new form of communication. To be perfectly honest in a typical day I receive around 100 texts and reply almost as much. Starting out with this bias, it was interesting to see research such a topic and to see what I came up with. After reading these articles and learning about this cohesive argument I would have to say I completely agree with these authors.
I strongly agree with the argument that there are more negative effects then positive that comes from teen text messaging. One of the major issues concerning this debate as addressed in the first article "Teen Driver Menace: Text-Messaging" by Steve Vogel, is that texting causes danger on the roads. I agree with this argument because of my own personal experiences. Just the other day, I was entering the high school parking lot. As I turned left to find a spot, one of my 17 year old friends nearly collided head on while attempting to multi task at the wheel. I slammed on my horn to get her attention, just in time for her to swerve back into her lane. I asked her what the hell she was trying to do driving with no hands and sending a text. Is sending one more text more important than focusing on the road, and keeping others and yourself safe? Just think, if my friend had attempted this irresponsible act on a 40mph road, the consequences could be a lot more harm full then the near incident in the 5 mph parking lot! Just think, Innocent children could be riding their bike on the side walk, unaware that some negligent teenager may come swerving into them while sending an unimportant text! This is a growing issue, Vogel's article quoted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "that distracted drivers account for almost 80% of all crashes and 65% of near-crashes in the United States. (April 20, 2008)
The second article gives another reason as to why text messaging has dominating negative effects. I defiantly would agree with Corinne Love, that texting is damaging the English language, and effecting teenagers academic skills. This was the main point of her article, “The Hazardous Effects of Text Messaging”. Not only do I agree with the points she made but I would also like to emphasize them from a teenagers prospective. As I said before I text message quite a lot per day. One of the ways I feel texting maybe hurting teen’s use of language is the crazy amount of abbreviating and misuse of punctuation. It’s kind of like the method coaches use. For example, a basketball coach may have his players shoot 300 free throws repetitively every day. The idea being that after a while they will shoot this way without thinking. What I'm trying to say is that if a teenager sends 200 texts per day using abbreviation, poor grammar, and lack of punctuation, Wont this become instinct? Personally I find myself abbreviating words in paper and in my speech, in the same way that I text. Isn't it common sense that the more a person does something, the more likely they may do it unconsciously? Another reason I feel texting will affect students academically is that; texting makes it so easy to cheat. Teens can slip their phone under their desks and ask friends test questions. There are also many cyber numbers people can text question and receive Google results!
The third article talked about text bullying. I defiantly agree that this is a horrible effect that comes from teen texting, that out ways the positive effects. In the same way that driving and texting can take lives, so can text bulling. After researching this side of the argument, I read many papers about teenagers that have committed suicide as a result of being bullied. This is a serious problem that swayed me far away from the idea that teen texting had more positive effect then negative. The article “Text Bullying” by Kathy Brock gave startling statistics of the number of teens being bullied.
I'm not saying that teens text messaging has all bad affects. But there are a startling number of negative aspects that have serious results. I understand that text messaging gives teens a more convenient way to stay in touch with parents and maybe even save them from a dangerous situation. But I do feel there is a time and a place for texting. I feel texting messaging should be banned while driving, and in the class room. Also parents should help regulate how often their children are texting and maybe even the contents of their texts, if they feel that there is conflict between other kids. These measurements would help provide a safer texting environment for teens. And also help lower the number of negative effects of teen texting messaging that I feel over whelm the positive effects.